This disclosure relates to an energy management system and more particularly to the management of devices in an energy management system. The disclosure finds particular application to incorporating a pool pump in energy management platforms.
Many utilities are currently experiencing a shortage of electric generating capacity due to increasing consumer demand for electricity. Currently utilities charge a flat rate, but with increasing cost of fuel prices and high energy usage at certain parts of the day, utilities have to buy more energy to supply customers during peak demand. Lowering peak demand provides a huge cost savings and lessens the peak load that the utility has to accommodate. In order to reduce high peak power demand, many utilities have instituted time of use (TOU) metering and rates which include higher rates for energy usage during on-peak times and lower rates for energy usage during off-peak times. As a result, consumers are provided with an incentive to use electricity at off-peak times rather than on-peak times and to reduce overall energy consumption of power consuming device in a home network at all times.
A home energy management system has been developed and described in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/892,130, (GE 237986), fully incorporated by reference herein, that can automatically operate and disable power consuming devices in a designated home network in response to signals received from a utility. The energy management system includes a central controller, such as a Home Energy Manager (HEM)/Home Energy Gateway (HEG), in communication with each of the power consuming devices and provides a homeowner the means to monitor and manage their energy consumption through a combination of behavior modification and programmed control logic. The HEM/HEG provides real-time feedback to a user regarding the performance and energy consumption of the devices in the home network. Active and real time communication of energy costs of power consuming devices to the consumer enables informed choices for operating those power consuming functions.
The home energy management system is designed to manage the operation of power consuming devices in a home network and provide homeowners with power and cost saving information. It would be advantageous, however, to further include additional devices into the system, such as a pool pump, and enable users to arrange operation of and schedule the device to avoid periods of high demand, thereby providing cost and energy savings.